The inseparability of art and life

Louis Jansen van Vuuren was born in 1949 in Middleburg in the old Transvaal (Mpumalanga). He is descendant of Dutch and French immigrants who came to South Africa in search of a better life.

The youngest of four children, he knew from an early age the artist’s way was how his story would unfold. The un-nameable urge to paint and document what was around him; to be able to interpret his personal vision through colour and feeling was the ultimate in creative happiness.

His first solo exhibition in his hometown at age 17 marked the beginning of the critical and commercial success to come. He studied art and design at Stellenbosch University winning prizes, awards and scholarships. During that time Professor Otto Schröder, Alice Mertens, and Dr. Bows were particularly influential in what he calls his developing years. “My life has always, and still today, holds a serendipitous element – people always inspired and supported me in the quest of becoming an artist.”

It’s been decades since his first exhibition in his hometown. Since then Louis has participated in numerous exhibitions in South Africa and around the world. He lives with his partner, Hardy Olivier at their chateau in the French countryside.

The Fire and Music ofLouis Jansen van Vuuren

To capture who Louis is in words is to surrender to an endless stream of consciousness, for throughout his multi-dimensional life and career, Louis is first and foremost a passionate lover of life.

Those who know Louis will tell you that, no matter how difficult it may be to stomach, he will never sugarcoat the truth. Like all great artists, he has the rare ability to hold up a mirror to the world and show it all of its beauty and grotesqueness in a single moment – somehow never robbing it of its dreams. Instead, he inspires.

Most days, you will find Louis with one foot in the past and the other in the present. One in the old world and the other in the new. Equally comfortable in front of a canvas clutching a well-worn brush as he is with an iPad in hand crafting a postmodern, digital collage, Louis’ curiosity of all things – from classical technique to modern technology – has ensured that his work has remained relevant through every chapter of his seemingly endless story.

To borrow a line from the 1950 film, All About Eve, Louis is an artist fully equipped with fire and music. At every turn, he has embraced life to the fullest, always thinking ten steps ahead, always creating, and always giving voice to his thoughts, no matter what the medium. What starts as an idea for a painting might end up as a book, for Louis is a storyteller unencumbered by form.

Perhaps what most defines Louis – despite is unwillingness to conform to the norms so many have tried to bestow on him through the years – is that he is a South African. Not necessarily with regards to his culture (although he has never denied it), and not necessarily in his taste (which is heavily tinged with hints his European ancestry and adopted France). But in his eclectic, pioneering spirit, there is no denying his roots.